A Love for Meilin
by arashi099
Summary: Sequel for After the Crash. Now that Sakura and Syaoran have confessed their love for each other, Meilin is left feeling hopeless. Who could ever love her? *Complete* Please read and review!!
1. A Visit

**A Love for Meilin**

This is a sequel for After the Crash.  I really didn't think I could write one – I didn't have any ideas for it.  But recently, I gained a new respect for Meilin, and so I was inspired to write this story.  So if you like Meilin, I think you might like this.  I do think this story can be read on its own, but I strongly recommend that you read After the Crash first.  It'll help set up this story much better, and I think you will appreciate and like this story much more. 

Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Card Captor Sakura in any way.  All the credit goes to the wonderful anime team Clamp. 

Enjoy!! ^_^

**Chapter 1: A Visit**

Meilin turned the TV off and sighed in relief.  Wei looked over at the young girl worriedly.  She hadn't slept well during the last few days, and it was obvious.  Her face was pale, her eyes dark and swollen, her hair and clothes ragged.  Wei had been very worried as well.  When he heard that his Li's plane had gone down, he was been devastated.  _But now, with the announcement that Syaoran-sama and his friend had been found, everything should be okay. _

"Would you like some tea, Meilin-san?" Wei asked gently.

She looked up at him, her eyes only slightly brighter after hearing the news.  "Okay," she mumbled.  _I'm so glad that Syaoran is okay…and Sakura-san too.  I was so worried, but I wonder why they didn't use the cards to get out of there.  I'm still a little worried though…I want to see him…_

"It's nice to hear that Syaoran-sama has been found," Wei mentioned.  Meilin looked at him and nodded. 

"I want to go," Meilin said.  Wei looked up at her surprised.  "Go?"

"To Japan…to see Syaoran," Meilin explained.  Wei smiled.  

"That might be a good idea." Meilin jumped as she heard the unexpected voice.  She stood as Yelan, Li's mother walked over to them.  "You can make sure he is okay."

Meilin stared at the beautiful woman.  _I know I was worried, but I can't even imagine how she felt.  But she did say that she knew he was alive when we first heard about the crash.  I wonder if she could sense him?_

"I'll have someone prepare your things and order some tickets for you and Wei to go," Yelan said, then quietly left the room.  

Meilin finally smiled for the first time sense Syaoran left.  "I'm going to go home and pack," she said excitedly.  She had been at Li's house since the news first reached them about the horrible accident.  

Wei watched as she hurriedly got up and left.  _Things are finally going to get back to normal.  _

***

Meilin breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped off the plane in Tokyo the next day.  _I was afraid something would happen like it did with Syaoran.  I used to love flying…not anymore._

"Let's go," Wei suggested, leading the way out of the airport.  He quickly located an empty taxi.

"Do you think he'll be back from that hospital they took him to?" Meilin asked.

"I don't know," Wei said.  "If not, we'll just wait in his apartment till he returns."

Meilin sighed.  _I hope he's there._

***

Syaoran smiled at the beautiful girl sleeping against his shoulder as the car stopped outside of his apartment.

He gently moved her away, trying to get out of the car without waking her.

"Thank you for bringing me home," Syaoran said quietly.  Fujitaka smiled kindly at him.  "And thank you for taking care of Sakura."  Syaoran blushed.  

"Syaoran…" Sakura muttered, slowly opening her eyes.  "Where…?"

"We just got back to Tomoeda," Syaoran replied.   "We're at my apartment."

"You're leaving?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran smiled, leaning back into the car and hugging her.  "You have to go home and rest."  She looked up at him sadly.  He kissed her forehead.  "I'll talk to you later, okay?" he said, the backed away and closed the door. 

"Finally he's gone," Touya mumbled.  Fujitaka looked at his son and smiled.  "He's a nice guy, isn't he, Touya?"  Fujitaka's smile grew wider as his son refused to answer.  _I think he actually does approve of him…_

"How are you feeling, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked.  

"I'm fine," Sakura replied yawning.  She slowly closed her eyes once more as the car began to move.  

Tomoyo smiled.  _I wish I had my camera. _

***

Syaoran walked slowly toward his apartment.  He hated leaving Sakura, but he was tired too.  It had been a long couple of days.  He suddenly stopped as he realized he didn't have his key.  _I can't believe I forgot about that.  At least I wasn't carrying anything really important on that plane.  _

His eyes suddenly widened as the doorknob in front of him began turning.  He watched in surprise as the door quickly swung open, revealing an anxious Meilin.  Her eyes began to water as she looked at him, and she suddenly burst toward him, wrapping her arms worriedly around his neck.

"Meilin…"  Syaoran muttered.

"I was so worried Syaoran!" Meilin exclaimed.  _Syaoran__…he's okay._

Syaoran looked over her shoulder to see Wei.  "What are you doing here?" 

"Everyone was worried about you.  We wanted to come, and your mother wished us to make sure you were okay," Wei answered.

"Well…I'm fine," Syaoran said.  "But I am glad to see you both."  He gently began trying to remove Meilin's arms from around his neck.  She wouldn't budge.  He sweatdropped. 

"Uh…Meilin?" 

She finally pulled back and looked straight into his eyes.  "Are you really okay?"

He smiled gently at her.  "Yes, I'm fine."

She suddenly took a hold of his hand and began pulling him into the apartment.  "You have to tell us everything that happened okay?"

Wei looked at Syaoran concerned by the expression on his face.  _He looks tired.  "He can tell us tomorrow.  We should let him rest for now."_

Syaoran looked at him in silent gratitude.  It was already pretty late.  The drive from the hospital had taken all day.  He sunk down onto the couch Meilin led him to.  She sat down next to him, keeping a firm grip on his hand. 

As Wei went off to prepare a drink for him, he slowly closed his eyes.  _I can't believe it's all over.  It might have been only a few days ago that we actually crashed, but it seems like it's been so much longer.  He sighed.  __And I can't believe I actually told Sakura how I felt in the hospital.  I was so worried about her out there, especially when she got so sick.  But now she's okay…and she said she loves me too.  I still can't believe how lucky I am.  He smiled._

Meilin just sat back and watched as these thoughts floated through his mind.  Her eyes widened just a little as she saw a bright smile spread across his face.  _What is he thinking about?  It would be so nice if he were thinking about me… She frowned. __ But he was out there alone with that Sakura…he must be thinking about her.  Syaoran, why can't you love me?_

She jumped slightly as his head slumped down.  He had fallen asleep.

***

End of Chapter 1__


	2. Another Visit

**A Love for Meilin**

Please review!! ^_^

**Chapter 2: Another Visit**

Wei smiled as he watched Meilin making breakfast the next morning.  _She looks much happier today.  I think she finally got a good night's sleep last night._

"Ohayou."

Wei jumped, startled at the sudden voice.  Meilin turned and grinned as she looked upon Syaoran who still looked half asleep. 

"Ohayou Syaoran!" Meilin said.  "Did you sleep well?"

"I guess…"  He looked over at Wei.  "Did you put me in my room last night?"

Wei nodded.  "Thanks," Syaoran said slightly embarrassed. _ I must have been really tired not to have noticed anything last night._

"It's done!" Meilin exclaimed rushing over to Syaoran and pulling him back towards the table. "Eat."

He looked up at her surprised then looked at the large array of food before him.  "Did you make all this?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course," she admitted proudly. 

He sighed.  "Itadakimasu."

***

Touya sighed in relief as the door closed behind his father.  It had taken him quite a while to convince him to go to work and leave Sakura to his care.  Luckily, he was in between jobs at the time so he could stay home with her. 

He walked slowly to the couch and sat down.  _Sakura…I can't believe everything that happened, how we thought we had lost you, but then you were alive…I was so scared. _

He closed his eyes trying to shut out the images of the crash that had been shown on the news.  _It's amazing that she did get out of their alive…along with that gaki.  But I guess it was good that he survived too or Sakura might not have been okay. __ That guy…_

He slowly drifted off to sleep.  Visions of Sakura and Syaoran, however, invaded his dreams.  He saw them walking together hand in hand, laughing together, Syaoran comforting Sakura as she cried, Sakura reaching for him not to leave her…

He was suddenly shaken from his dream-filled sleep by the ringing of the doorbell.   He growned.  _That was not the best of dreams…_

"I'm coming," he called out walking toward the front door.  He opened it to find a tall young man on crutches. 

"Can I help you?" Touya asked.

"Uh, my name is Tetsudau Masato.  I wanted to see Sakura-chan.  Does she live here?"

"Yeah," Touya said hesitantly.  "How do you know her?"

Masato smiled gently.  "I met her after the crash."

Touya looked up at him surprised, his eyes widening in recognition of the man before him.  "Oh, you're that guy that was on the news that talked about the crash."

"Yup, that was me."

"Come in," Touya said, leading him to the living room.  "Would you like anything to drink or eat?"

"No that's okay.  I'm fine," Masato replied.

"By the way," Touya began.  "My name is Touya.  I'm Sakura's older brother."

"It's nice to meet you," Masato said.

"Sakura's still asleep so if you want, you can wait here or I'll tell her you visited if you don't want to wait."

"Thanks, but I think I'll wait if that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine, but I don't know when she's going to wake up," Touya told him.

Masato smiled. "It's okay."

They both looked up as they heard a door open upstairs.  

"It looks like you don't have to wait," Touya said.  They waited as they heard soft footsteps walking down the stairs and towards them.  As Sakura finally reached the entrance to the living room, she stopped, her eyes growing wide.

"Masato-san!"

"Yo."  He grinned at the young girl.  She rushed quickly over to them.  "What are you doing here?" she asked happily.

"Classes at the university start soon, so I had to come to Tokyo.  So since I was so close, I thought I'd visit you and that Li guy," he explained.

"That's great!" Sakura exclaimed smiling at him.  She looked over to the crutches leaning on the couch beside him. "How's your leg?"

"Good," Masato answered.  "The doctor said I should be off the crutches in about a week.  How about you?  How's your arm?"

"It's fine."

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" Touya suddenly interrupted. 

"Uh…no, I haven't," Masato replied.

"I'll go make something for us then," he said leaving the room. 

Masato watched as he left.  "You have a nice brother."  Sakura smirked.  "Sometimes…" she muttered.   

"So how's Li-kun?" Masato asked.

Sakura blushed slightly. "He's fine.  My father dropped him off at his apartment last night."

Masato smiled, noticing the light red tint spreading across her cheeks.  _She looks happy.  So I guess that guy finally told her how he felt.  Good…_

"Will you take me to visit him later?" 

Sakura smiled.  "Of course."

"I'm sure he'd love to see his pretty little cherry blossom anyway, right?" Masato grinned as her face turned a darker shade of red. 

"Do you like tea?  I'll go get us some tea."  

Masato laughed as she almost ran out of the room.  

***

Meilin's eyes watered as she listened to Syaoran tell about the crash, how some seemingly insignicant jerks turned out to be associated with engine failure on the plane, how everyone thought they were going to die, how Sakura tried to use one of the Star Cards but it didn't work.  

"We finally landed in the woods really hard and the plane just skid until it hit a side of a cliff," Syaoran continued. "I looked up and saw Sakura beside me.  She was knocked out and there was blood on her arm.  I thought she was…"  He shook his head.  "I woke her up and we looked around. The whole front end of the plane was smashed, and there was a fire…"  
  


"We saw some of the pictures of it on the news," Meilin told him.

"We heard a baby crying, and so we tried to find it.  Sakura was so happy when it wasn't hurt, but its mother…well anyway, we looked some more to see if we could find any others alive, and luckily we did.  We all helped each other get out of the plane and further away since there was an explosion and the fire was spreading to some of the nearby trees. We walked until we found what we thought would be a safe spot on the other side of a pretty wide stream, and stayed there for the night.  There was a doctor with us that had survived, and he helped to treat us a little with the few supplies he was carrying or found before we got off the plane."

"That was certainly lucky for everyone," Wei said. 

"Yeah," Syaoran agreed.  "If he hadn't been there, some of the others might not have survived."  He sighed.  "Anyway, the next day, the doctor suggested it might be better if a couple of us tried to look for help.  So since Sakura and I were the least injured, we decided to go.  But then it rained, and the fire from the plane was put out so the searches could begin.  Before we even found a way out of the woods, one of the search teams found the others.  And then Sakura got really sick, but Keroberos and Yue found us and flew us out of the woods to a nearby town that helped treat us and get us to the hospital all the other survivors had been taken to."

He stopped.  __

"That all must have been a horrible experience for you," Wei said. 

Syaoran looked up at him, then looked away.  "But there was at least something good…" he mumbled. 

Meilin looked at him confused.  "What do you mean?"

Syaoran looked up at her.  _I wonder what she'll think about Sakura and me.  "Umm… well, because of the crash and Sakura getting hurt and so sick, I kind of realized finally…how I felt about her…and I told her, and she…she feels the same.  So that was good…"_

Meilin's eyes had widened at this news, and although she tried to hold back her tears, they came flowing down her face.  _Syaoran__…_

Syaoran looked at her worriedly.  "Are you okay?"

She turned away and covered her face with her hands.  Syaoran reached over and laid his hand on her shoulder, but she suddenly got up and burst out of the room.  Syaoran watched as she hurriedly put on her shoes and ran out of the apartment.  He got up to go after her.

"Give her a little time, and then go after her," Wei suggested. 

Syaoran looked at him.  "But…"

"Just wait for a little while.  She needs to calm down a little before you can talk to her."

Syaoran sank back down on the couch and sighed.  _I'm such an idiot._

***

End of Chapter 2


	3. A Meeting

**A Love for Meilin**

**Chapter 3: A Meeting**

Meilin stopped running as she approached Penguin Park.  She found a small bench and sank dejectedly onto it.  _Why am I crying like this?  I knew he never really loved me, and it's not like I hate Sakura.  She's perfect for him.  The tears that had somewhat abated during her run away from the apartment suddenly started up again in full force.  __But I do love him, and I'm the one engaged to him even if we didn't decide on it ourselves.  This is horrible.  Why can't he love me?  I'm sure Sakura could find someone else…everyone likes her.  But me…I don't have anyone else.  _

She looked up and surveyed the park.  Even though it was almost noon, there was no one else there.  _I'm glad…this way no one will see me cry.  I guess I'll always be alone.  Maybe it's just better that way for me.  I should go back to __Hong Kong__…get away from him.  I need to forget…_

She closed her eyes as images of the past began passing through her mind.  She would never forget how he had searched all day in the rain for her lost bird or all the times they trained together or all the times he was there to protect her.  _Syaoran__…_

She sighed, her tears finally coming to a stop once more.  _Sakura is so lucky.  She's the one that was able to use magic.  I know that is how she first gained Syaoran's respect.  And he helped her catch the cards and turn them into Star cards once she had become the mistress.  I wish he would love me like he loves her.  And now he'll be there with her all the time, and he'll forget about me.  We won't be able to be with each other like we were before.  She's so lucky.  And she deserves him…I know she does.  She's the one that can make him truly happy._

Meilin groaned inwardly.  _But I still love him._

Just then, Syaoran, who had waited only a short while before he went after her, arrived by the park and immediately spotted her sitting alone on a bench._  I picked the right place to look. _

He walked slowly over to her and sat down beside her.  She looked up shocked, but then quickly turned away.  He sighed.

"I'm sorry Meilin."

She looked back at him, her eyes wide.  "Why are you sorry?"

He hesitated.  "Because…I…I guess I just kind of forgot about your feelings." He looked at her.  "I know that you like our engagement even though our parents decided on it.  And so I know that you…have feelings for me."

Meilin blushed and looked away.

"I shouldn't have told you about my feelings for Sakura so bluntly…but…everything I said was true."  Tears began once more to drop down her face.

Syaoran grabbed onto her hand.  She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go.  

"Meilin, I love you as a friend and cousin.  I care about you a lot, but I can't…I can't feel for you anymore than that.  I want you to be happy.  I really do.  I wish you could find someone that could love you like you want me to.  You would be much happier with him if you knew he cared for you just like you cared for him.  It would be much better that way, and with me…I don't think we could have been so happy after a while."

"But there isn't anyone else…" Meilin muttered.  

Syaoran looked at her kindly.  "Yes, I'm sure there is.  Meilin, you are wonderful.  I know because I've known you for so long.  Any man would be lucky to have you."

"Except you."

Syaoran sighed.  _That was the wrong thing to say.  "Meilin…I love Sakura…and I can't stop that feeling for her.  I don't really want to.  You need someone who will love just you.  I could never make you happy, knowing how I feel about Sakura."_

Meilin sighed.  "I know."  Syaoran looked at her.  "For a long time, I've thought you liked Sakura.  I was so jealous, but since you never admitted to it, I still had some hope that maybe one day you could love me.  But now…I can't deny that you love her, and I know she loves you too.  And I want you both to be happy.  But…"  She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Syaoran, placing her head against his chest.  He hugged her back.  "I just really wish I knew there was someone out there for me…who will love me like you love Sakura."  

"I will help you in any way I can.  I could never be truly happy knowing that you still hadn't found the one for you," Syaoran told her.  

"Sakura is really lucky," Meilin said.  Syaoran smiled gently.  "I'm lucky.  And so will the man be who finds you."

"Let's go," Meilin said standing up.  She grabbed his hand and they slowly walked out of the park.  

***

Wei looked up surprised as the doorbell suddenly rang. 

"Yes?" he said opening the door.  His eyes widened as he saw Sakura.  "Sakura-san!"

"Hi Wei.  I didn't know you were here.  Is Syaoran-kun home?" she asked.

Wei hesitated.  _I wonder if he's found Meilin yet.  "No, I'm sorry.  He's out right now."_

"Do you know when he'll be back?" she asked.

"No, I don't.  He went out looking for Meilin."

Sakura's eyes widened.  "Meilin is here too?" 

"Yes, we arrived here yesterday."  

Sakura smiled.  "I can't wait to see her!  It's been so long since she visited."  

Wei sighed.  "Would you like to come in and wait for him?"

Sakura turned to Masato.  "Do you want to wait?"  He smiled.  "Sure."  With that, Wei led them into the apartment.  

"By the way, this is Masato-san," Sakura said.  "He was one of the other survivors of the crash."

Wei looked at him surprised. "It's nice to meet you.  My name is Wei.  I help Li-sama here."

"It's nice to meet you too," Masato said.

Wei motioned for them to sit.  "Is that injury from the crash?" he asked gently, noticing the crutches. 

"Yeah."

"Well, I am glad you are okay.  I'll go get both of you something to drink while you wait."

"He's nice," Masato commented.  Sakura nodded, smiling at him. 

"So who is this Meilin person he mentioned?" he asked.

"She's Syaoran-kun's cousin from Hong Kong," Sakura explained.  "She came to school here a long time ago, but then had to leave to help take care of a family member back home.  She visits every once in a while though.  She's really great."

As Wei returned with drinks, the door to the apartment suddenly swung open, and Syaoran and Meilin came in.  They stopped in shock as they saw Sakura and Masato sitting there.  

Meilin stared in surprise at Sakura, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to reappear.  _Why did she have to come now?_

"So, are you surprised to see me?" Masato asked. 

"What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked still surprised at the unexpected visit.

Masato grinned.  "Well, it's nice to see you too.  And I came to check up on you and the pretty little cherry blossom."

Syaoran threw him a friendly glare.  _This guy…_

Meilin turned to him confused.  Masato noticed her look and having already gotten back up onto his crutches went over and stood before her.  "My name is Tetsudau Masato," he said.  "It's a pleasure to meet you."  He took her hand gently and kissed it.

"Uh…hi." Meilin said slowly, pulling her hand away.  Masato smiled at her. 

"He was one of the other people that survived," Syaoran explained.  

"Yup, Li-kun and his little cherry blossom over there helped save my life," Masato said.  

Syaoran and Sakura both blushed.  Meilin sighed and looked away.  Masato looked at her worriedly, surprised at the sad expression in her eyes he saw before she turned the other way.  He looked back at Syaoran who was also looking with worry at Meilin.  

"So, you're Meilin-san?" he asked.  She looked back at him.  "Sakura-chan was telling me about you just before you came in."

Meilin glanced at Sakura.  "Yes, I'm Meilin."

Masato laughed at the worried look on Meilin's face.  "Oh don't worry.  She didn't say anything bad.  She even said you were great.  So…are you great?"

Meilin stared at him, her eyes wide.  "What!?" 

He grinned.  "You seem great so far."  Meilin blushed, quickly turning away as she felt the heat rising in her face.  _I can't believe this guy…making me blush like this…I never blush like this…especially now…  She quickly tried to gain her normal color back and then turned back to him and smiled.  "Of course I'm great."_

"Well then, we should get along just fine," Masato stated.  "Because, you see, I'm great too."  

"We'll see," Meilin said.

Syaoran and Sakura, meanwhile, just stood by and watched the scene before them. They sweatdropped.

***

End of Chapter 3

Please read and review!! Thanks!!


	4. A New Friendship

**A Love for Meilin**

Thanks for your nice reviews!! ^_^ 

**Chapter 4: A New Friendship**

Syaoran and Sakura looked out from around the corner to see Meilin and Masato still talking animatedly to one another on the couch.  They backed back into the kitchen where they were helping Wei make dinner.

"They certainly are a lot a like," Sakura commented.  

"Both of them do seem to think highly of themselves," Syaoran added.  Sakura looked at him.  "Be nice Syaoran-kun."  He smiled at her.

"I wonder what they've been talking about all this time," Sakura said. 

"Who knows," Syaoran mumbled.  _This Masato guy seems to get along really well with Meilin.  And he's not that much older…maybe he can help her to forget about me…_

"Syaoran?" Sakura's voice broke him from his thoughts.  "When you and Meilin came in, she kind of looked a little sad.  Do you know what was wrong with her?"

Syaoran sighed.  "Yeah…"  Sakura looked at him, worried by his expression.  "Earlier today, I told her about the crash and everything, and I also told her about you and me."  He hesitated for a moment.  "Umm…you know…Meilin and I are still engaged."  Sakura's eyes widened.  "I think we told you about it before, how our parents arranged it when we were kids.  And even though they arranged it for us, Meilin has always been happy about it since she…uh…has feelings for me.  So I kind of upset her today when I told her about us."  Sakura looked down, feeling kind of guilty.  She had forgotten about all that. 

"She ran out of here after I told her, but I followed her and talked to her about it.  She was disappointed, but it seemed she wanted to be happy for you and me.  I think she just needs a little time to get over it a little bit," Syaoran told her.  He sighed as he saw her looking down, her eyes watering slightly.  "Don't worry about it, Sakura.  I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I just feel kind of bad," Sakura admitted.  "I didn't even think about how she might feel."

"I didn't either.  But I do want her to be happy, and I told her I would help her to be," Syaoran said.  

"I will too!" Sakura declared.  Syaoran smiled.  "I knew you would." 

Wei smiled at the two talking as if completely oblivious of his presence.  _They are both so kind.  And they really seem to love each other…and trust each other.  It's nice…_

"Hey, when is dinner going to be ready?" Meilin asked, popping her head into the kitchen.  

"It won't be long," Sakura told her.  

Meilin sighed seeing Syaoran and Sakura working so close together.  _They both look so happy…and so right together.  They certainly were meant to be…  _

"Are you okay, Meilin-chan?" Sakura asked her worriedly. 

Meilin looked at her and smiled.  "I'm fine."  Sakura watched as she quickly left the kitchen.  She sighed.  _I'm sorry Meilin…_

***

"Gochisosama," Masato said happily, placing his chopsticks down on his empty plate.  "That was really good."

"I'm glad you like it," Sakura said.  Masato smiled at her.  "Of course.  I would like anything the pretty cherry blossom made."  

Sakura blushed.  "I only helped."

"That's all that matters," Masato told her.  

"Meilin can cook much better than I can," Sakura stated.  Meilin looked at her surprised. 

"Oh really?" Masato asked interestedly, turning toward Meilin.  "In that case, I would certainly love to taste some of your food."  Meilin stared at him, so he continued.  "Only, of course, if Sakura-chan is telling the truth."

Meilin's eyes widened.  "Of course she is!  I have always cooked much better than Kinomoto-san."

"You're going to have to prove it," Masato said.

"I will definitely cook for you," Meilin told him playfully.  "Then you can see for yourself what a true chef I really am."

Masato grinned. "How about tomorrow you cook dinner for me?" 

"Fine," Meilin said. 

"I am a lucky man."

Just then, Sakura jumped up as she glanced at the clock.  "Wow, it's getting late.  I guess I should be heading home."  She turned to Masato.  "If you don't have a place to stay tonight already, you can stay with us."

"Sounds great," Masato told her.  "Thank you for the nice dinner," he said, turning toward Wei and Syaoran.  "And it was nice meeting you Wei-san, Meilin-san."

"It was nice meeting you as well," Wei said.

"I'll call you tomorrow, Syaoran-kun," Sakura said heading out the door followed by Masato.  

"That was certainly fun," Masato said as the door closed behind them.  

"Yeah, it was," Sakura agreed. 

"So, it looks like you and Syaoran are finally a couple," Masato said.  Sakura blushed.  "Yeah…"

"I'm really happy for you both."

Sakura smiled warmly up at him.  "Thanks."

Masato looked up at the night sky.  _The stars are so beautiful…I'm glad I came here.  It's nice to see Sakura and that Syaoran guy again…and see that they're okay and happy.  And it was nice meeting Syaoran's cousin…Meilin…she really is pretty.  Really outgoing…and really confident, maybe a little too confident…but really fun.  But for some reason, she didn't seem completely happy…I wonder why._

"That Meilin was really fun to talk to," Masato stated.  

"I'm glad you had fun," Sakura told him.  

They walked for a while in silence. 

"Umm…" Masato hesitated.  Sakura looked up at him questioningly.  "Does…does Meilin have a boyfriend?" he asked slowly.

Sakura's eyes widened.  _This is an interesting question.  I wonder why he wants to know._

"I really don't think so."  _I wonder if I should tell him she's engaged to Syaoran.  I'm sure he would be surprised to hear that.  But maybe I shouldn't…_

Sakura looked up at Masato.  He looked thoughtful.  "Why did you want to know?"

He glanced at her.  "No reason."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Sakura asked him.  This time his eyes widened in surprise.

"No, I don't."  He grinned at her.  "That Syaoran of yours took my cherry blossom for himself.  Not very nice of him if you ask me."

Sakura blushed and gently hit his arm.  He laughed.

"Are you sure your family won't mind me staying at your house?" he asked.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Sakura said. 

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting to stay longer than a day," Masato told her.  "But things never turn out as you expect I guess.  Now I have to stay and let Meilin-san prove that her cooking is better than yours."  He smiled at her.  "I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun."

Sakura smiled back at him.  "I hope so."  _At least for Meilin's sake…_

***

End of Chapter 4


	5. The Movies

**A Love for Meilin**

**Chapter 5: The Movies**

Sakura was woken up late the next morning by the ringing of her phone.  She rolled over and picked it up.  "Hello?" she said sleepily, yawning.

"Oh I'm sorry.  Did I wake you up Sakura-chan?" 

Sakura smiled hearing the cheerful voice of her best friend.  "It's okay, Tomoyo."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies today.  A lot of the others are wanting to go."

"That sounds like fun," Sakura said.  "But this guy that I met after the crash is visiting."

"Invite him then," Tomoyo suggested.  "I'm sure no one would mind if he came along with us."

"I guess if he wants to go, then okay," Sakura told her.

"Call Syaoran and invite him too.  We'll all meet at Penguin Park at noon, okay?" 

"Okay," Sakura said.  "Oh and guess what.  Meilin is here too."

"Really?  That's great.  It'll be nice to see her again," Tomoyo said excitedly.  "Well, I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yup.  Ja ne."  With that, Sakura hung up the phone.  She looked at the clock to see that there was only about an hour till noon.  She hurriedly called Syaoran and invited him and Meilin to go with them, then got dressed.  

Kero suddenly popped up in front of her.  "I'm so hungry," he complained, looking at her with pleading eyes.  "I've been stuck in here all morning because that guy is here."

Sakura smiled at the little yellow guardian.  "I'm sorry Kero.  I'll bring you something in a minute.  And you can go down later when Masato and I leave.  We're going to go to the movies with everyone."  

She quickly walked down the stairs to find her brother and Masato watching TV together in the living room. 

"So, the kaijuu finally woke up," Touya muttered.  

Sakura glared at him.  "Ohayou, Masato-san."  Masato smiled at her.  "Ohayou, pretty cherry blossom."  Sakura blushed. 

"Do you want to go to the movies?  You can meet a lot of my friends."

"Sure, that sounds like fun," Masato said.  "Is Li-kun and his cousin Meilin-san going to go too?"

"Yup," Sakura replied.

"Well then, that's even more reason to go."  

Touya looked up at her and sighed.  _At least she won't be alone with that gaki of hers._

***

"It looks like most everyone else is already there," Syaoran said, looking at the group gathered at the entrance of the park. 

"Hey everyone," Meilin said as they reached the others.

"Meilin!" Tomoyo rushed over to her and hugged her.  "It's been such a long time since you've visited."  

"Ah…did you miss me Daidouji?" Meilin asked playfully, looking around.  "Is Sakura and that Masato guy not here yet?"

"Masato?" Tomoyo questioned.  "Oh you must mean that friend that's visiting Sakura.  Have you already met him?  
  


"Yeah, he ate dinner with us last night," Meilin explained.  Meilin's eyes suddenly brightened a little as she saw Sakura and Masato slowly approaching them. 

"Hey everyone," Sakura said as she finally reached them.  "This is Masato-san.  He was one of the other survivors that we met."  

"It's nice to meet all of you," he said.  One by one the others he hadn't met before (Rika, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Naoko, and Tomoyo) introduced themselves.  

Rika then turned to Sakura, noticing with worry the bandage on her arm and the other few cuts visible on her face and other arm.  "Are you okay?  We were all so worried about you and Li-kun."  

"I'm fine," Sakura said.  

As they talked, Tomoyo suddenly brought out her video camera and began taping.  Masato looked at her amused.  Sakura sweatdropped as she noticed the camera.  She turned to Masato.  "You might want to watch out for her.  She's always taping.  She's been attached to a video camera ever since I can remember."  

Masato grinned.  "You sure do have some interesting friends."  Sakura smiled.

"Well, are we going to go to the movies or not?" Meilin asked impatiently.  "I don't have all day you know.  I have to go home and cook dinner for this crazy guy," she said looking at Masato. 

He laughed.  "And I'm looking forward to it too if you can cook as well as you say you can."  

She looked at him indignantly.  "You'll see.  And then you'll be begging me to cook for you for the rest of your life."

"That might not be so bad…" he muttered.  She looked at him surprised.  

"I agree with Meilin," Chiharu said. "Let's go."  

As they began walking toward the theater in town, Tomoyo dropped back and whispered in Sakura's ear.  "This guy seems to be somewhat interested in Meilin."

Sakura smiled at her. "I hope so."  Tomoyo winked.  "Well, it looks like things might get a little interesting.  I'm really happy I decided to bring my camera.  Now I have something more to tape then you and Syaoran."  

"That's wonderful to hear," Sakura said, looking ahead of her to see Meilin walking happily beside Masato.  

The group finally reached the theater a little while later, and made their way in.  

"I get to sit between the cherry blossom and Meilin," Masato said.  They found a row in the middle of the theater.  Yamazaki led the way in followed by Chiharu, Naoko, Rika, Tomoyo, Meilin, Masato, Sakura, and finally Syaoran.  They quickly settled into their seats as the movie was just about to begin. 

"It's been a while since I've seen a movie," Meilin mentioned.

"Really?" Masato asked.  "Well, then today is your lucky day.  You get to see a movie for once in a long time, and you get to see it with me.  How lucky can a girl get?"  
  


Meilin looked at him surprised. "You are crazy."

"Don't you like crazy guys?" he asked her, grinning.  A slight red tint began to appear on her cheeks.  "Be quiet," she said.  "The movie's starting."  His grin only grew wider as he slowly turned his head toward the screen in front of him.  He quickly grabbed her hand.  Her eyes widened, and she immediately tried to pull her hand away.  But he refused to release her hand.  "Let go," she demanded.  He turned and smiled at her, putting one finger of his free hand up to her lips.  "Be quiet.  The movie has started."  

She stared at him shocked, but decided to give up on trying to free her hand from his firm grip.  She turned away from him, blushing.  _This guy…I'm suddenly nervous around him for some reason.  And I think my hand is getting sweaty…that's not good.  His hand is so warm…_

Sakura and Syaoran smiled at each other.  Syaoran gently took her hand in his, lifting it slowly to his lips.  He kissed it.  Sakura blushed.

Meanwhile, Tomoyo's face lit up as she watched Meilin and Masato as well as Sakura and Syaoran.  Tomoyo had somehow managed to tape the whole scene, completely ignoring the movie playing before her.  She smiled.  _This is so much more interesting than any movie could ever be…_

***

End of chapter 5


	6. A Day Out

**A Love for Meilin**

**Chapter 6: A Day Out**

After the movie, they all decided to roam around town together, stopping in and out of various stores, until they finally came to a small café where they could sit outside in the warm sunshine.  

They quickly put two of the larger tables together and sat down to relax from the walking they had done.  

"May I take your order?" 

They all looked up to see Touya standing there with a bored look on his face.  Sakura jumped up, surprised at seeing her brother there.  "What are you doing here, Oniichan?"

He looked dully at her.  "What does it look like kaijuu?"  She glared at him.  "I am not a kaijuu!"  The others all sweatdropped.  Touya suddenly noticed Syaoran's close proximity to his sister, and the two suddenly began glaring at each other, each forgetting the presence of the others.

Sakura groaned.  "Would you two stop that?" 

Touya sighed and turned back to the others and after quickly taking their orders, disappeared.  Sakura sighed in relief.

"Did you know that it takes 2000 berries to make one pound of coffee?" Yamazaki asked. 

"Berries?" Masato asked.

"Oh, didn't you know?  Coffee beans are actually a bean-looking pit of a certain type of berry."

Masato looked at him.  "Well, that's interesting." 

Chiharu lightly smacked Yamazaki on the back of the head.  "Don't listen to him.  He never tells the truth."

"But that was the truth," Yamazaki insisted.  The others sweatdropped.

"Hello everyone."  They all looked up to see Yukito standing by them.  

"Hi Yukito-san.  Do you want to join us?" Sakura offered.

"Sure." He quickly pulled up a chair and sat.  "How is your arm, Sakura-chan?"  

"It's fine," Sakura replied, smiling warmly at him.  "By the way," she began motioning toward Masato, "this is Masato-san."

Yukito bowed slightly to the young man.  "Hi, it's nice to meet you.  I am Tsukishiro Yukito."

Just then Touya returned, pushing a small cart with their orders.  "Hey Yuki."  Yukito smiled at him as he distributed the orders to all of them. 

"Do you want anything?" Touya asked him. 

"Isn't your shift over soon?"  

Touya nodded.  "In about ten minutes."

"Then I'll wait, so we can eat together," Yukito said.  

Naoko suddenly gasped as she looked at her watch.  She quickly drank the tea she had ordered then stood up.  "I'm sorry, but I forgot all about the opening of a new book store.  I wanted to be there right when it opens and it's supposed to open at five.  They're having a huge opening sale."

"Do you mind if I go with you?" Rika asked.  Naoko shook her head.  "Of course not.  I'd love for you to come."  

"What time is it?" Chiharu asked. 

"It's about five minutes till five o'clock," Naoko answered.  Chiharu gasped.  "It's already that late?  Yamazaki-kun and I were supposed to meet my mom and his mom for dinner at five.  We've got to go," she said.  She quickly put some money on the table to pay for her and Yamazaki's drinks, and then she hurriedly dragged him away.  Rika and Naoko left as well.  

"So, when do your classes start at the university?" Syaoran asked Masato.  

"In about a week," he replied.  

"That soon?" Meilin asked.  Masato smiled at her.  "Yeah, and I'm not really looking forward to it either."

"Our school starts next week," Tomoyo told him.  

"I'm glad it's our last year of high school," Sakura said.  "How long are you going to be able to stay, Meilin-chan?"

Meilin looked at her.  "I really don't know.  School in Hong Kong doesn't start for about another month or so."

"Well, I hope you can stay at least till then," Syaoran said.  Meilin glanced at him.  "Maybe…" she muttered quietly.  _But there's not really any reason for me to stay…_

"Well, maybe I should get going too so that I can start making dinner."

"Would you mind if I watched you cook?" Masato asked her.  "I want to see the pro in action."

She looked at him and smiled.  "Of course you can watch."  

"I'd better be going too," Tomoyo said.  She quickly got up and waved goodbye to the others as she left.

Just then, Touya suddenly reappeared.  "I'm off now," he said.  

Yukito smiled at him.  "That's great.  I'm hungry."  

Touya smiled slightly back at him.  "Well I certainly don't want to eat here, so let's go." 

He turned toward Sakura.  "Don't come home too late."  With that, he left.  Yukito waved bye to them and quickly followed after him.  

"You're going to eat with us again tonight, right Kinomoto-san?" Meilin asked.  "I want to eat my better cooking."  

Sakura smiled.  "Sure, but I'll have to call home once we get to Syaoran-kun's apartment." 

"That's fine," Syaoran told her.  He looked at Meilin and Masato.  "You two can go ahead though.  I want to stay here a little longer if that's okay with Sakura."

Meilin looked at him for a moment.  "That's fine.  Let's go, Masato-san."  

"We'll see you later," Sakura called after them as they left.  She turned to Syaoran after they had walked out of sight.  He stood up, offering her his hand.  They slowly began walking toward the park.  

"It's nice to actually be alone with you," he told her shyly.  She looked up at him and smiled.  "It is nice…"  He gently squeezed her hand. 

"What do you think about Meilin and Masato-san?" he asked slowly.  "They seem to get along really well, don't they?" 

"Yes, they do.  They seem to really enjoy being with each other."

"Masato-san said once that he was going to be a sophomore at Tokyo University right?" Syaoran asked. 

"I think so," Sakura replied.  

"So he's not really that much older than us."  
  


Sakura looked up at him.  "Maybe just two or three years older I guess."  She smiled.  "Do you think he might be the one for Meilin?"

Syaoran looked at her surprised.  He sighed.  "Yeah…maybe." 

"I've thought the same thing," Sakura admitted.  "They always seem to be having fun around each other.  And today in the movie theater when he wouldn't let go of her hand…it was kind of sweet."

Syaoran nodded.  "I just really wish something would happen so she could be happy."

Sakura smiled.  "You're so kind, Syaoran."

He turned to her and cupped her face in his hands.  "You've had too much of an influence on me I think."  She blushed.  He slowly leaned forward and kissed her softly.  "I'm a really lucky guy," he whispered.

***

End of Chapter 6


	7. A Dinner

**A Love for Meilin**

**Chapter 7: A Dinner**

Meilin and Masato soon reached Syaoran's apartment.  She quickly gathered the food and supplies she would need to make the dinner.  He just stood back and watched.  _This girl…she has some kind of hold on me I think.  She's so pretty, and that apron looks good on her too… He blushed.  _

"I'm sure you really don't need help, being the pro that you are, but I really wouldn't mind helping a little," he offered.

"Fine then, you can rinse the rice for me," Meilin said.  She tossed him a white apron, which he quickly put on.  "Do you like to cook?" she asked him.

"Only when I'm cooking with a pretty lady like you," he answered.  She blushed.  _This guy is never serious.  _

"So, what are we making?" he asked.

"You'll see as we go along," she replied.  "Do you have any requests?" 

"Nope, I'll be happy with anything," he said as he placed the rice into the rice cooker.  "What do you want me to do next?" 

She pointed at a section of pork sitting on the cutting board.  "Can you cut that into thin slices?"

"Sure.  Is there a knife for me to use?" he asked.  She picked up the knife next to her.  As he reached to take it, their hands brushed against each other.  She quickly pulled her hand back and looked away, blushing.  _This is a new feeling…  _

He watched as she looked away and easily noticed the slight blush on her cheeks, which made him blush as well.  _I wonder what she thinks of me.  It might be nice if she actually… He sighed.  __Yeah right…_

He looked up at her worriedly as she gasped.  She was looking at her finger.  He could see blood.  

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking her hand and looking at the cut.  It was pretty deep.  She tried to pull it back, but he kept a firm grip on it.  "Let me help you," he said.  She looked at him in surprise.

He quickly drew her finger under the faucet to wash away some of the blood.  "Where can I find a band aid?"

"In the bathroom closet," she mumbled.  Still holding her hand, he led her to the bathroom where he found some medicine, applied it, and then put a band aid over the cut.

"Does it feel okay now?" he asked worriedly.  

"Yeah…" _He really does look worried…but it's only a cut.  He's so strange…_

He turned and led the way back to the kitchen where they began to work once more in silence.  

"Umm…thank you," Meilin said after a few minutes.  Masato looked over at her and smiled kindly.  "You're welcome."  Meilin looked shyly away and looked at the band aid on her finger.  She blushed.  _He's so nice…much nicer that Syaoran.  Her eyes widened.  __What am I thinking?  Could I possibly like this guy?  She quickly stole a glance at him.  __He is very handsome…with that dark black hair that sometimes falls over his eyes… She blushed even more. __ Whoa…I need to stop thinking like that.  He's in college.  He would never be interested in some one like me._

Meanwhile, Masato was also stealing glances at the young girl working beside him.  _Her expressions keep changing.  I wonder what she's thinking about.  Her hair looks so soft…I wish I could touch it… He looked away.  __What am I thinking? She probably already has some one she likes.  I certainly don't deserve a girl like her anyway._

Just then, they heard voices in the living room as Sakura and Syaoran entered the apartment.  They immediately came to the kitchen where they found Meilin and Masato, both with light blushes on their faces.  Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other and smiled. 

"Where is Wei?" Syaoran asked.  

"He's taking a nap," Meilin replied.  

"Do you need any help?" Sakura offered.  Meilin smiled at her.  "Nope, Masato-san and I will be just fine. And I have to prove I'm a better cook than you anyway, remember?"

"Let's leave them alone then," Syaoran said, leading the way out of the kitchen.  He stopped as he noticed the band aid on Meilin's finger.  "What happened?" he asked, pointing at her finger.  

"I cut it, but Masato-san took care of it for me," Meilin replied, her blush returning. 

Syaoran smiled.  "We'll be in the living room if you need anything," he said as he left.

"It's a lucky thing we took our little walk," Syaoran said, sitting on the couch beside Sakura.  She smiled at him.  "We need to figure more ways for them to be alone then," she suggested.  He grinned.  

***

"It's ready!" Masato called out.  Sakura and Syaoran walked over and sat at the table with Masato as Meilin brought out all the food.  Wei also joined them. They stared in awe as more and more food kept coming.  And it all looked great.  

"Sugoi!" Sakura exclaimed, looking at the food before her.  There was tonkatsu (pork with bread crumbs deep fried), specially seasoned red snapper, tuna sushi, rice, miso soup, and a beautiful salad.  She had even cut up some fresh fruit as a desert.

Syaoran also stared at the food in amazement.  "This really does look good, Meilin."

"Of course," Meilin said.  

"Itadakimasu!" they chorused as they eagerly began to eat.  

"Kero would love this," Sakura said.  Masato looked up at her.  "Who's Kero?"

Sakura hesitated.  _I'm an idiot.  "Uh…he's another one of our friends."_

"Interesting name," Masato commented.  Syaoran, Sakura, and Meilin glanced at each other.  "He's certainly quite interesting," Sakura mumbled.  

Masato turned to Meilin.  "This really is wonderful, Meilin-san.  And no offense, but I must admit, this dinner is better than yesterday's."

"You did help though, Masato-san," Meilin said.

"Not that much," he replied.  "You did all the hard work."  Meilin smiled happily at him as everyone continued to eat.  

They ate slowly, savoring every last bite they took.  But finally, about an hour later, they all had finished their meal.

"I guess I should be heading home," Sakura said.  Syaoran looked up at her. "I'll walk you home."  She smiled at him, but turned toward Masato. "It's okay, Masato-san and I can make it by ourselves."

"I was thinking about staying and helping Meilin-san clean up, so you two can go ahead," Masato told them.

Meilin looked at him surprised.  "You don't have to help."

"I want to help," he said.  She stared at him for a moment.  "Whatever."  Masato smiled. 

"Then I'll guess I'll see you later, okay Sakura-chan?" 

"Okay," Sakura said as she began walking toward the door.  "Thank you for the dinner!" she called out as she left, Syaoran following close behind her.  

"That worked out great," Syaoran said after they had walked quite a distance from the apartment.  "Now they can be alone again."  Sakura smiled up at him and took his hand as they walked the rest of the way to her house.  They stopped as they reached the gate, and he pulled her close.  He hesitated as the porch lights came on, but decided to ignore them, and leaned in to kiss her.  As their lips touched, the door to the house suddenly slammed open, revealing a very angry Touya.  They slowly pulled apart.  

"Goodnight Syaoran," Sakura said softly as she began walking through the gate to her house.  

He watched as she gently pushed Touya away from the door.  She turned once more to wave at him, before she shut the door. 

He smiled and began walking back to his apartment, taking a longer route just in case Meilin decided to walk Masato back.

Meanwhile, Masato and Meilin had finished cleaning up with the help of Wei and began making their way to Sakura's house where he would be staying again.  

"You know, you really don't have to walk me back," Masato told her.  "I don't want you to have to walk back to Syaoran's apartment alone."

"It's okay," Meilin said shyly.  

"I had a lot of fun today," he said.  "Everyone was really nice…especially you."

Meilin's eyes widened, and a deep red blush covered her face.  _I am so glad it's dark out here.  _

"I'm glad you came and visited when I did," he continued.  "It would have been a shame to miss meeting you." 

Her blush grew even darker.  "I…I'm glad too," she said.

"So, do you like Japan?" he asked her.  "Or do you miss Hong Kong when you visit?"

She sighed.  "I like them both a lot.  Up till recently, though, it's kind of depended on…" She suddenly stopped.  "Nevermind."

He looked at her questioningly.  Even in the dark he could tell she had suddenly become a little depressed.

"I know that I just met you, but I can tell you're not exactly happy about something…it kind of makes me worry about you," Masato said slowly.  She looked up at him surprised, then looked away.  He sighed.

"It depended on Syaoran," she mumbled.  His eyes widened.  She could tell he was a little confused.  "Whether I wanted to be in Japan or Hong Kong depended on where Syaoran was.  I wanted to be with him."  By this time they had stopped walking.  Masato was looking at her worriedly as she talked.  She just kept looking down at the ground.

She sighed.  "When we were little, our parents arranged our engagement.  And even though they did so without talking with us, I was happy about it.  I really liked Syaoran.  And although he was really nice to me most of the time, he never really seemed to feel the same way I did.  But I just kept hoping that someday he might."  She stopped, trying to force the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks back.  "But then when I came, he told me about how he felt about Sakura, and so I was really upset.  He talked to me, and tried to make me feel better, and it worked a little.  But I'm still kind of disappointed."

They stood there for a moment in silence.  He noticed as a few tears escaped and rolled down her face.  He gently took his hand and wiped them away.  She turned toward him for the first time since she had begun to talk.  "I'm sorry I told you…" she began, but he put a finger to her lips.  "It's okay," he said.  "I'm glad you told me.  It helps me understand some things."

They continued to walk.  Masato sighed.  _Now I feel kind of guilty…I really wanted Syaoran and Sakura together.  And all this time, with the way I've teased them, I must have been making things even harder on Meilin.  But…when Sakura told me before that Meilin didn't have a boyfriend, I was kind of happy.  I…do I really like her so much?_

He looked over at her.  _I wish I knew how to make her happy…_

He stopped as they neared the Kinomoto house.  She looked at him questioningly.  He looked down and then back up at her.  "I really don't know if I should say this considering what you just told me, but I really want you to know that…I really like you." 

She looked at him shocked at what he had just told her.  "I know that I'm a few years older and that you're not even planning on staying here, but that doesn't seem to matter to me right now."

"Are you serious?" Meilin asked.  

Masato looked straight at her. "I would never joke about something like this.  I really do like you."  He hesitated, but then quickly leaned over and kissed her.  She just stood there surprised.  Masato smiled at her then began walking once more toward the house.  "I hope I can see you tomorrow!" he called out.  

She watched as he made his way into the house.  She touched her lips, still feeling the warmth of his.  _What in the heck just happened?_

***

End of Chapter 7

I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far.  I really appreciate it!  ^_^  And I hope you liked this chapter as well.  Please keep reading!!


	8. A Misunderstanding

**A Love for Meilin**

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews.  Reviews make me so happy.  ^_^ 

**Chapter 8: A Misunderstanding**

Meilin woke up early the next morning after a night of fitful sleep.  She couldn't get Masato out of her head…or Syaoran.  She walked over to the window and looked out.  The sun was just appearing over the horizon.  She replayed the scene from the previous night through her head again.  _I really like you, he said.  I just can't believe it…I just met him.  But he has been really nice, and I've really had fun being with him.  And when he took care of me after I cut myself…it was so sweet.  Maybe he really did mean it… She sighed.  __But what about Syaoran?__ I still can't really forget my feelings for him, but whenever I'm with Masato-san, I forget about him for a little while…and it's nice when I do…what does this mean? Do I actually like this guy?_

She lied back on her bed, looking at the ceiling.  She smiled, touching her lips softly.  _His kiss…it was really nice…_

***

Masato slowly opened his eyes, flinching at the bright light coming through the window.  He sighed.  _I wonder what she thinks about last night…maybe I shouldn't have kissed her so soon.  She certainly was surprised…but she didn't act like she didn't like it.  Of course, she didn't act like she did either.  But she was so pretty…and I really did mean everything I said.  I just wish she could be happy. _

He got up and made his way down the stairs where Touya was already up and making breakfast.  

"Ohayou," Masato said as he entered the kitchen.  "It smells good."

Touya looked up at him.  "Ohayou."

"Can I help?" Masato offered.  

Touya shook his head.  "It's okay, I'm almost done."  

"Thanks for letting me borrow your bed," Masato said.  "It's really nice of you."

"Your welcome.  I hope you slept well."

Masato smiled at him.  "Thanks, I did."  He sighed.  Touya looked over at him surprised at the worried expression that passed over his face.  _Well that's kind of weird.  Ever since he came, he's been perfectly happy.  I wonder if something happened._

"Are you okay," Touya asked.  Masato looked quickly at him and then quickly looked away.  "I'm fine."  Touya frowned.  _Yeah right…_

Just then, they heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs.  Sakura soon poked her head into the kitchen.

"Ohayou!" she said cheerfully.  Masato smiled at her. "Ohayou, Sakura-chan."

Touya grinned.  "Ohayou, kaijuu."  Sakura glared at him.  Masato laughed. 

"Remember you have a doctor's appointment today," Touya told her.  Sakura groaned.  She hated going to the doctor.

"Sakura-chan," Masato began.  She looked up at him.  "Yes?"

"Umm…can you give me Li-kun's phone number?"  She smiled at him.  "Sure, of course."  She quickly took a piece of paper and wrote it down for him.  "Arigatou, pretty cherry blossom."  He smiled at her as she blushed slightly.  

"Breakfast is done," Touya told them as he began bringing plates of food over to the dining room table.

"Where is Otousan?" Sakura asked.  

"He had to go to the university early to prepare for a special presentation," Touya replied. 

Masato looked at them.  "Oh, is your father a professor?"

"Yeah," Touya answered.  "He's an archaeology professor at the nearby university."

"That's cool," Masato said as he sat at the table next to Sakura.  "This looks good," he commented, looking over at Touya who had sat across from him.  

"Itadakimasu," they chorused.

***

"Are you okay?" Wei asked, watching Meilin as she stared out the window and sighed for the fifth time.  

She looked up at him quickly and then turned away and sighed again.  "I'm fine."

Just then, Syaoran, who had been taking a shower, walked in to the living room.  He looked worriedly from Wei's anxious expression to Meilin.  She hadn't said practically anything all morning, and it was already almost noon.  Also, she had barely eaten anything, and she continued to tell them she was perfectly okay.  Syaoran groaned inwardly.  _What's wrong with her?  He jumped as the phone suddenly rang next to him.  _

He quickly picked it up.  "Hello?"

"Hi, Li-kun?"  

"Yeah…" Syaoran said, not recognizing the voice.

"This is Masato."

"Oh, hi.  You sound a little different on the phone."

"Uh…could I talk to Meilin-san?" Masato asked.  Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise.  "Yeah, sure.  Hold on a minute."

He quickly walked over and handed the phone to Meilin. "It's Masato-san," he told her.  Meilin blushed as she took the phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Hi Meilin-san," Masato said.

"Hi Masato-san."

"Umm…I was wondering if maybe you would go shopping with me today," he began slowly.  "I need to find a present for my sister, and I thought you might be able to help."

"Are you sure you don't Kinomoto-san to go with you?  You did come to visit her, didn't you?"

"She has a doctor's appointment, and anyway, I would rather you go with me."  

Meilin's blush grew even darker.  Syaoran was watching her with an increasing look of amusement as she got redder and redder.  Wei just looked at both of them confused.

"Okay then," Meilin finally replied.  

"Great.  How about we meet at Penguin Park in 30 minutes?"

"That's fine," Meilin said, hanging up.  She stared at the phone for a few moments before placing it down.  She turned to Syaoran and Wei as she headed for the door and began putting on her shoes.  "I'm going out."

"Where?" Syaoran asked. 

"Shopping.  I don't know when I'll be back, okay?" she said.  She then quickly left the apartment, gently closing the door behind her.  Syaoran smiled.

***

Masato smiled as he approached the park.  Meilin was already there.  He could see her sitting on a swing, looking down at her feet.  _She looks like she's thinking about something…maybe even me.  _

He slowed as he came nearer to her.  She finally looked up when he was standing right next to her.  She blushed. 

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her.  She nodded, and they began walking toward the center of the town. 

They walked for a while in silence.  Meilin kept glancing at him, but he was always looking at her.  She blushed even more.

Masato sighed.  _I don't know what to say.  She keeps blushing…but she's much quieter than normal.  I don't know what she thinks…maybe I should just ask her…I don't know._

Meilin looked up again.  He was finally looking away.  _I wonder what he's thinking about.  Maybe he wishes he never said anything…he probably didn't even mean it.  But I can't forget it.  It is nice being here with him…_

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with what I told you yesterday," Masato told her slowly.

Meilin's eyes widened.  She looked away.  "No, it's okay…I…."  She stopped.  "I…I'm glad you told me…"

"Really?" Masato asked. 

"If you really meant it, then yes, I am glad you said it," Meilin replied hesitantly.

"Well good then," Masato said, "because I did mean what I said."

Meilin smiled warmly at him.  "Is it your sister's birthday or something?" Meilin asked.

Masato grinned at the young girl walking beside him.  "I kind of don't have a sister."  Meilin looked at him in shock.  "What!?  I thought you said…"

"I know what I said," he interrupted playfully.  "I just wanted an excuse to be with you."  
She stared at him, her eyes wide.  "I wasn't exactly sure what you thought about last night, so…I thought that maybe you wouldn't come out with me today if I didn't have a good reason for it…"

She continued to stare at him.  He laughed gently. "Sorry I lied."  Her expression softened after a moment into a smile.  "You really are crazy."

"I think I'm lucky," he said smiling at her.  

They spent the rest of the day happily, walking together through town and going through some stores pretending like they were looking for a sister's birthday present.  They finally came to a small store that held a variety of different items that Meilin hadn't been to before.  

"This place is really nice," Meilin commented looking around her.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Masato said suddenly, disappearing quickly behind another a tall display.  Meilin stood there for a moment then began to browse.  _I should bring everyone else to this store.  Everything's so pretty here._

A few minutes later, Meilin looked up to see Masato standing just behind her, with a big smile on his face.  Meilin looked warily at him.  "Why are you smiling like that?"

His smile grew even wider.  "No reason."  

She looked down at the small bag he was carrying.  "What did you buy?"

"Nothing special. Are you ready to go?  I'm getting kind of thirsty."  Meilin just continued to stare at him confused and followed him out of the door. 

They quickly found themselves at a crowded food/drinks stand with an outside seating area.  

"Why don't you find us a table, and I'll get us some drinks," Meilin suggested.  He began to protest, but she quickly silenced him.  "It'll be fine, and the line is really long anyway.  It wouldn't be good for you with that leg of yours."

Masato watched as she walked off and stood at the end of a really long line.  _This place must be popular.  He looked around and quickly located a small table a few feet away.  _

He slowly sat down, placing his crutches on the ground next to him.  He watched as Meilin slowly made her way over to the line and took her place at the end.  Masato smiled.  _She's so pretty…_

He jumped as suddenly two hands covered his eyes.  "Guess who?"  He groaned as he recognized the voice, roughly taking the hands away.  "What are you doing here Nageki?" 

The tall young woman standing smiled and sat down in the chair for Meilin.  "Now what kind of greeting is that?" she asked him. 

He ignored the question and looked away from her.  She smirked.  "You were smiling really big when I saw you a few minutes ago.  What were you thinking about?" 

"It's really none of your business," Masato said shortly.  She grinned, placing her hand on his.  She picked it up and laid it against her cheek.  He quickly pulled away.  She pulled her chair closer.  "What do you want?" he asked. 

"I want you of course," she replied, moving even closer.  

"It's over between us," he began, sighing. "It has been for quite a while now.  Why can't you just leave me alone?" 

"But that wouldn't be any fun."  She ran her hand up and down his right arm slowly.  

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"  She laughed at his question.  "My friends can certainly wait while I talk to you for a while.  I mean, how lucky can I be to find you here?"

"Look, I don't mean to be mean, but if you don't mind, I wish you would leave," he told her.  

She looked at him, her smile growing wider across her face.  "Oh, are you waiting for someone?" she asked.  He suddenly cringed as he saw Meilin coming toward them.  Nageki followed his gaze and grinned as she saw Meilin.  She quickly took hold of Masato's cheek, turning his head toward her, and kissed him.  Masato's eyes widened; he sat there in shock, unmoving. 

Meilin, meanwhile, had finally exited the line with drinks in hand and was walking back toward the table.  She stopped suddenly, letting the drinks fall to the ground unnoticed as she saw Masato with the other girl.  Her eyes quickly began to fill with tears.  _I can't believe this…  She stood there just staring at the unexpected couple.  _

Masato quickly recovered from his shock, but spotted Meilin looking at him teary-eyed.  _Oh no…  He watched as she began running as fast as she could away down the street.   He roughly shoved Nageki away from him and grabbed his crutches, following Meilin as fast as he could, but certainly not fast enough.  In only a few moments she had ran out of sight.  He stopped and sighed.  __What am I going to do now?_

Nageki sat back and watched from the little table outside the café.  She smiled as she left with her friends.  __

***

End of chapter 8


	9. Decisions

**A Love for Meilin**

Please review!! Thank you!! ^_^

**Chapter 9: Decisions**

Meilin kept running, tears streaming down her cheeks, until a sharp pain in her side reminded her that she needed to breathe and slow down.  She realized she must have looked weird to the many people she had passed, but she didn't care.  All she could think about was Masato…with that girl.  _I'm such an idiot…thinking that a guy like Masato would like someone like me.  He must have just been trying to make me feel better…or maybe he was just messing with my head…just teasing me.  I haven't known him that long after all…_

She leaned against a nearby tree, looking up through the leaves to the darkening sky above.  _I had so much fun today…being with him.  I didn't even realize it was getting this late.  Why did he have to be with that girl?_

Her tears that had begun to subside began to fall down her face once more.  She grimaced as she watched a young couple holding hands walk past her.  _There will never be someone for me…who I can hold hands with and be with like that…_

Meilin sighed and began walking again, not really caring where she was going.  She looked up as she realized she had walked into Penguin Park.  There were only a few kids there at the time; they didn't even seem to notice she had come.  _No one really ever notices me I think… She slumped down onto one of the swings, looking down at her feet.  __I really should just go home…_

***

Sakura looked up surprised at Masato as she held the door open for him.  _He looks so...so sad.  I've never seen him look like this before.  I wonder what happened…_

"Are you okay, Masato-san?" she asked him gently.  

He looked at her and gave her a weak smile.  "I'm fine.  How did your appointment with the doctor go?"

"It went okay.  He said I can take the stitches out in another week," Sakura replied. 

"That's good," he said.  "Is Touya here?"

"No, he's out with Yukito-san."

"Do you think he'll mind if I rest in his room?" 

"Of course not.  Go right ahead," Sakura told him.  She watched worriedly as he slowly made his way up the stairs and out of sight.  _What happened?  I hope it doesn't have anything to do with Meilin…_

Masato sighed as he threw his crutches down and sat frustrated on Touya's bed.  _Meilin__…_

He lied back and looked up at the ceiling.  He could still see in his mind the look on her face when she had seen him with Nageki.  _Why'd she have to show up here? And now? That girl…she hasn't left me alone since I broke up with her over a year ago.  And now she's even managed to ruin my chances with Meilin…what's her problem anyway? I heard she's always with a new guy – like every week.  But everytime I get interested in someone, she always seems to pop up somehow.  Why can't she just leave me alone?_

He groaned. _I wonder where Meilin went when she ran away…I hope she's okay.  He stared with hatred at the crutches lying on the floor.  __I could have gone after her if I didn't need those…how unlucky can I be…even though it is b/c of the crash that I met her…_

He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the images flying through his head.  He soon drifted off into a dream-filled sleep.  He just couldn't forget about Meilin.

***

Sakura looked up as Touya suddenly came in, Yukito following close behind him. 

"You're just in time for dinner.  Will you stay, Yukito-san?" Sakura asked.  

"Are you sure that's okay?" he asked.  

Sakura smiled at him. "Of course!"  She turned toward her brother.  "Could you go get Masato-san?  He's in your room."  Touya looked at her as her face suddenly fell a little.  He turned and walked out of the room.  

"Can I help you with anything for dinner?" Yukito asked.

Sakura shook her head.  "No, everything's ready."  She looked up as Touya re-entered the room.  "He's sleeping."

"Well, I guess we should just go ahead and eat.  I'll keep some for him to eat later."  Sakura looked down.  _What happened?_

***

Sakura jumped at she suddenly heard a soft knocking on her door.  She put down the book she had been reading.  _It's not often I can read quietly…maybe I should let Kero go stay with Tomoyo more often._

She quickly walked over to her door, her eyes widening as she opened it to reveal Masato.

"Uh…can I talk to you?" he asked quietly, looking away.  

"Yeah, sure," she motioned for him to come in.  He gently sat on her bed.  She sat in front of him in her desk chair, which she turned to face him. 

They sat for a moment in silence.  "Are you okay?" Sakura asked him.

He looked up at her worried eyes.  "Last night…I…umm…I told Meilin that I liked her…and I kissed her," he began slowly.  Sakura's eyes widened.  "And today when we went out, she told me that she was glad I had told her."  

Sakura looked at him confused. "Then why…?"

"We stopped at this small outdoor café kind of place," he interrupted, "and when she went to get drinks, this girl I knew before…she was my girlfriend over a year ago, but we broke up…happened to be there, and she came over to me…" He stopped for a moment.  "She came over and talked to me even though I really didn't want her to…and then she kissed me.  I…I was shocked that she did…and I didn't move, but then Meilin came back…"

Sakura sighed.  "She must have thought that you were…" She stopped.

Masato groaned.  "I don't know what to do…she also told me last night that she liked Li-kun and that she was disappointed that he would never like her.  I didn't even know, and then I go and tell her that I like her, and then she sees me with that other girl…"  

"You have to explain everything to her," Sakura told him.  

"But she would never believe me," Masato said. 

"You have to make her believe you.  If you really like her like you say and like I think you do, then you have to at least try."

Masato looked away. "But…"

"You'll regret it forever if you don't."  

He looked at her.  _She has a really strong heart…maybe it was right to come and talk to her…_

"When you were together, it seemed like you were having so much fun…you just looked right together.  Everyone noticed it," Sakura said.  "I know Meilin liked being with you…it seemed she really did like you.  She should believe you."

"Do you really think that?" he asked her.

Sakura looked straight into his eyes.  "Yes.  It might take her a little while, but I think she will believe you.  Just be very honest with her."

He sighed, then smiled at Sakura.  "I'm lucky to know you, Sakura-chan.  Maybe that crash wasn't so bad."  Sakura smiled.  "I'll try," he told her.  "I don't want to lose her."

***

It was almost midnight before Meilin finally made her way back to Syaoran's apartment.  Both Wei and Syaoran were there, waiting worriedly for her. 

"Where have you been?" Syaoran asked her.  He stopped suddenly as he took a good look at her face.  _She's been crying… "Are you okay?"  She looked up at him, then away.  She quickly took off her shoes and made her way past them._

Wei and Syaoran exchanged glances.  

"I can warm up your dinner for you if you're hungry, Meilin-san," Wei said. 

"I'm not hungry," Meilin told him.  "Wei, can you order me a plane ticket back to Hong Kong?"

Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise.  "You're going back already?"

"Yes," Meilin mumbled.  Syaoran looked even more worriedly at her as he noticed a small tremble in her voice.  _What happened? Wait…she was out with Masato-san today.  If she's crying because of him…that guy…_

"Are you sure?" Wei asked her.  

"You can stay here longer," Meilin said.  "But I want to go soon.  If possible, tomorrow morning."

Wei sighed.  "I doubt that I can get tickets that quickly, but I'll try if that's what you really want."

"That's what I want," Meilin said, beginning to walk back to the guest room.  "I can't stand this place anymore."

Syaoran watched as she left the room.  _Things certainly didn't work out the way I hoped then…  He sighed.  __I just wish she could be happy…_

***

End of Chapter 9 


	10. A Surprise

**A Love for Meilin**

Thank you for your wonderful reviews!  A special thanks to those of you who have reviewed more than once.  *smiles*

Enjoy!

**Chapter 10: A Surprise**

Sakura covered her head with her pillow, trying to will the ringing of the phone to stop.  But whoever it was did not give up easily.  She rolled over and off her bed, crawling sleepily to the phone on her desk.  

"Yes?"

Syaoran smiled as he heard the sleepy voice on the other end of the line, forgetting for a moment the reason he called.  "I'm sorry for waking you up."

"Syaoran?" 

"Ohayou, Sakura," Syaoran said.  

Sakura smiled.  "Ohayou."

"Anyway, I was calling to tell you Meilin's leaving for Hong Kong very soon."

Sakura's eyes widened.  "What!?"

Syaoran sighed.  "She came home last night really upset, and told us that she wanted to go home as soon as possible.  Wei got her a plane ticket like she wanted, and she's leaving in about an hour.  We just go to the airport a few minutes ago."

"Well, this isn't good," Sakura muttered.

"Do you know what happened?  Did that Masato guy do something?" Syaoran asked.

"I'll explain later, I have to go.  There's not enough time…" With that she hung up the phone, leaving Syaoran to stare at the phone confused.

Just as Sakura put down the phone, it rang again.  She groaned, frustrated.   "Yes?"

"Sakura-chan?  I'm surprised you're awake," Tomoyo said.  "We were all thinking about getting together and going to the beach today."

"Look, I'm sorry Tomoyo-chan, but I can't talk right now," Sakura told her.  "Meilin's leaving, and I have to tell Masato…"  
  


"Meilin's leaving?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yes, but…" Sakura started.

"Well, she can't leave without saying bye to me.  I didn't even get to tape her that much while she was here.  When's her plane leaving?" 

"Syaoran-kun said in about an hour," Sakura answered.

"Well, how about we meet there then?  I want to see her again before she leaves," Tomoyo said. 

"But…"

"I am going to call everyone and tell them we have to postpone going to the beach.  I'll talk to you later, Sakura-chan."  Sakura stared at the phone as she heard the click telling her that Tomoyo had hung up.  She sighed and put down the phone, hurrying out of her room to tell Masato the news.  

She knocked impatiently on the door to Touya's room where he was staying.  To her surprise, the door opened almost immediately.  She looked up at Masato worriedly.  _He looks like he didn't sleep much last night…_

"This is early for you, isn't it cherry blossom?" Masato asked her, smiling.

"Meilin's leaving," Sakura told him.  His face suddenly became very serious, his eyes widening.  "What did you say?"

"Syaoran-kun just called saying they were about to go to the airport.  Meilin's going back to Hong Kong."

Masato looked away sadly.  "So…I really have lost her…"

"No you can't give up that easily," Sakura said.  "You have to explain everything to her before she leaves."

"But there's no time," he muttered.

"Of course there is. We just have to get to the airport now and find her before her plane takes off."

"Maybe we can get there before it does, but I won't have any time to tell her anything.  Doesn't it take just less than an hour to get there from here?" Masato asked, looking down at his feet.

Sakura sighed.  "Do you love her?"

Masato's head shot up.  He stared at her for a moment.  _This feeling…is it really love?  I couldn't even get her out of my head last night…and now, when I think I might lose her forever…I don't know if I can take that…no, I can't.  Maybe it really is love… "Yes."_

"Then hurry and get dressed and meet me in five minutes downstairs, okay?" Sakura said as she turned and went back to her room to get dressed. 

Less than five minutes later, they had both finished dressing.  Sakura quickly wrote a note to her father and brother telling them where they had gone.  Then she turned back to Masato.  "Uh…don't freak out okay?"  

He looked at her confused, watching as she took off her necklace holding it out before her. 

**Key that uses the power of the stars**

**Appear before me in your true form**

**Sakura, the one with the contract with you, commands it**

**Release!**

He stared as the amazing scene playing out before him.

**Fly!**

Masato's eyes widened as he watched beautiful white wings grow from Sakura's back.  

She looked at him, holding her hand out to him.  "It'll be much faster if we fly."

He just stared at her.  

"Hurry, we don't have much time," she told him.  

He slowly put his hand in hers and followed her outside where he suddenly found himself flying through the air.  

"Uh…Sakura-chan…you know this isn't normal, right?  Am I dreaming?" Masato asked her. 

"Hold on tight, or you'll fall," Sakura said.

Masato's eyes widened even more as he stared at her, then at the ground below them, then back at her.  _I wonder what people would think…seeing a girl with wings flying through the air carrying a guy with crutches.  But this isn't real…it can't be…_

Twenty minutes later, they finally spotted the airport.  Sakura quickly found an empty space and landed.  Her wings quickly disappeared and the staff that she had been carried suddenly returned to its tiny form.

Masato stared at her, speechless.  __

Sakura suddenly closed her eyes, keeping them closed for a few moments.  

"Uh…what are you doing?"

She ignored the question, but soon after, her eyes snapped back open.  

"Follow me," she said, smiling at him.  "I found them."

"But how?" Masato asked.

"I can sense Syaoran-kun's power."

Masato groaned.  "Of course you can…"   _I really am dreaming…  He followed her into the airport, running through the crowds.  To his surprise, a few minutes later, they had approached the gate where Syaoran, Wei, and Meilin were waiting.  He hesitated.  _

Sakura turned back to him once more.  "You should go on alone."

He looked at her, still not believing everything he had seen.  "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

With that he began walking slowly towards Meilin.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said suddenly from behind her.

Sakura jumped and turned to look at her best friend.  "How did you get here so fast?"

Tomoyo motioned for her to look down at her bag.  Kero was staring out at them, with a huge grin on his face.  "Tomoyo promised me my favorite cake if I brought her here.  I'm so lucky I can fly!"

"I could not miss filming Meilin with Masato," Tomoyo said, holding up her camera.  Sakura sweatdropped.  

Syaoran suddenly appeared by them.  "I think they should be alone for now," he said, looking back at Meilin and Masato, who at the moment, were just staring at each other.  The group turned to watch.

***

End of Chapter 10


	11. Shiawase

**A Love for Meilin**

It's the final chapter!  Enjoy!

**Chapter 11: Shiawase**

Masato stared at the girl before him.  _What should I say?_

Meilin stared back, tears coming again to her already weary eyes.  _Why is he here?_

"Meilin…" he began.  He stopped as he saw some tears fall down her face.  She turned away.  

"Leave me alone," she whispered.  He sighed, walking closer to her, determined to at least try to explain. 

"Please Meilin…please listen," he said.   

She turned sharply back toward him.  "Why should I?  You never say anything true.  All you seem to like to do is joke around…mess with people's heads.  And I refuse to take it anymore."  She began walking away.

He quickly reached her and took hold of her arm, stopping her from going any further.  "What I told you the other day…that I liked you was true.  I would never joke about something like that."

"Yeah right," she mumbled, turning away from him.

Masato gently turned her head back to face him, looking straight into her eyes.  "I promise.  Just please let me explain."

She said nothing.  Masato took a deep breath.  _I hope she believes me…_

"That girl that you saw yesterday…she used to be my girlfriend.  Her name is Nageki," Masato cringed as he saw even more tears falling down Meilin's cheeks.  "But about a year ago, we broke up.  She was bored I think, and she kept going out with other guys behind my back that would fool around with her for a while and then go on…none of them cared about a real relationship or anything.  All they wanted was a little fun.  But then I found out about it, so I broke up with her."

He sighed.  "She didn't want to…she wanted to stay with me and be with her other guys.  She said that she only went with the other guys to…uh…have the kind of fun that I refused to have with her, if you know what I mean.  But that just wasn't right for me, and I told her that.  But she kept trying to get me back…I really don't understand why…but I guess she finally realized that it would never happen."

Meilin finally looked up at him.  "So now every time she sees me with someone else, she purposefully tries to cause problems…apparently she doesn't want me to be with anyone but her.  And when she saw you and me…well…I guess she didn't like it, and so she kissed me just as you were coming back.  I was surprised…and so I didn't move.  I was too shocked…and that's when you saw us."  Meilin turned away once more.  

"It was bad luck that she happened to be there…I don't have any idea why she was even in Tomoeda."  He sighed.  "I'm just very sorry that it had to happen…and that I let it happen because I was too surprised."

Meilin sighed, still looking away.  "Why should I believe you?" she whispered.  "How do I know that you're telling the truth…that you're not like her, wanting to be with more than one person."

"I promise you Meilin.  I'm telling you the truth," Masato said desperately.  _How can I make her believe me?_

She turned back toward him, looked straight at his eyes, then down at the ground.  _I don't know if he's telling the truth…but for some reason, I really wish he is.  She sighed. __ When he told me that he liked me…and we went out yesterday together…I was so happy.  I even thought that he might actually be the one for me…but then that girl…  She looked up at his face again.  He was looking straight down at her anxiously, worriedly.  __He looks as if maybe he is telling the truth…but…I just don't know…_

Masato stared at her as she looked at him, then down, then back up at him.  _Please, please let her believe me.  I've never felt like this before…I can't lose her. _

"Meilin, ever since I met you, I've had feelings for you." She looked up at him, her eyes wide, then quickly looked away.  "At first, I just enjoyed being with you because you were funny and would play around with me.  But then I got to know you better, know more about your past and what you like and things like that, and I began to have stronger feelings.  I know I liked you, and I really wanted to try and see if things would work out between us despite where we live and our age."  He stopped, taking a deep breath, trying to control his somewhat shaky voice.  _I really want her to know how I feel…this is my only chance._

"But then after the thing that happened yesterday with Nageki, I was so worried that we could never be together…that you would hate me, and I couldn't take that.  I wanted to follow after you…but you were too fast.  I began cursing my injury and the crutches…"

Masato sighed.  "So I went back to Sakura-chan's house, and just stayed by myself.  I couldn't think of anything but you…I…was mad at myself and sad because I thought I had lost any chance of…of winning your heart."  He blushed.  "I had never felt the kind of feeling I had for you…or the pain that I was feeling because I thought I had lost you.  So I decided to talk to Sakura-chan finally, thinking that for some reason she may be able to help since she knows you better than I do I think.  She helped me realize what my feelings for you were…and she helped me come here to explain and tell you."  He looked straight into her eyes, his expression full of his strong emotions.  "Meilin…I…I love you."

Meilin's eyes widened.  She stared at him in silence…in shock…at what he had just said.  

He suddenly pulled a small box from his pocket and placed it onto her hand.  "I don't know how you feel about me, but I still want you to have this."

She looked up at him, then hesitantly opened the box to reveal two small rings.  One had the top part of a small heart, the other the bottom half of the heart. Meilin could see that there was part of a word was written on each, and carefully removing the two rings from the box, she put them together.  "Shiawase (happiness)," she whispered, reading the now joined word.  She looked back up at Masato.

"When you told me about your feelings for Li-kun, I felt sad knowing that you weren't truly happy, and that you thought that there would be no one for you."  Meilin stared at him.  "I know Li-kun and Sakura-chan want you to be happy, and so do I, but I realized that you wouldn't truly ever be until you found that someone just for you.  I really wanted you to keep up hope though.  You're a beautiful, smart, and kind person, and I knew that someone would really love you some day, like Li-kun and Sakura-chan love each other."

Masato smiled at her.  "Do you remember the last store we went in to yesterday, before we went to get drinks?"  Meilin nodded slightly.  "We have a branch of that store in my hometown, and I saw that ring once before there.  When we went yesterday, I remembered about it, and thought it would be perfect for you."

"So that's what you bought…" Meilin muttered.

"I thought that maybe the ring could remind you to keep hope that someday you would find your special someone.  I thought that maybe you could wear one ring until you did, and when you found that some one you love, he could put the other ring on with it so that it would be complete…and then you would finally be happy."

Meilin's eyes began to water.  She looked down at the two rings in her hand.  She slowly put the ring with the bottom half of the heart on her finger. 

"Meilin…I…I really hope that you find the one you love soon…"  He looked down.  "I just wish it could be me," he said softly.

Meilin looked at him, tears now flowing down her cheeks.  _This guy…it seems he really was telling the truth about that girl…and I'm so glad…_

Meilin sighed as she looked back down at the ring on her finger and the other ring she still held in her hand.  "When I saw you with that girl, I was really hurt.  I couldn't believe that you had lied to me about everything…I didn't want to believe it," she said slowly.  

Masato looked up at her.

"When I was with you, I was really happy.  And after you told me you liked me…I kind of thought that maybe you would be the one…the one that would love only me.  And then when I saw you kissing that girl…or her kissing you or whatever…I felt worse than when Syaoran had told me he loved Sakura.  I realized then how I actually felt about you…but then I thought it didn't really matter…that you didn't really feel the way you said toward me."

Masato looked down.

"And now, when you explained everything about what happened with you and that girl, it was hard for me to believe you…even though I actually wanted to.  I…didn't want to be let down and hurt again."  She looked at him, lifting his head so that she could look into his eyes.  _They're so beautiful…so full of his feelings.  I know now that he has been telling me the truth…_

"But now I really believe that you have been telling me the truth," she said.  His eyes widened, his expression suddenly becoming much more hopeful than ever before.

"And now I think my feelings for you are even stronger…because now I know your heart much better."  She took his hands and placed the ring with the top half of the heart in them.  He looked at her.

"I love you Masato."

His eyes widened in surprise and happiness as he heard the words he had been hoping for with all his heart.  _She finally looks happy…_

He took her hand and slowly put the second ring onto her finger to join it with its bottom half.  

"Can you be truly happy now?" Masato asked her. 

She looked at him with love.  "Yes…with you, I will always be happy."

Masato gently placed a hand on her cheek, bringing her closer to him.  "Then I feel like the luckiest person, to be able to make you happy."  She smiled.  He leaned in slowly, their lips meeting for the second time, but this time with a true love.  They slowly ended their kiss, but he gently wrapped his arms around her even tighter, pulling her even closer till she rested her head comfortable against his shoulder.  

"All passengers for the flight to Hong Kong, please begin boarding the plane now."

Meilin and Masato stood for a moment in silence, arms still wrapped around each other.

"Do you really have to go?" Masato asked.

She looked up at him.  "I only wanted to leave because I thought you had lied to me.  But now, I could never leave."

He smiled.  "I'm glad."  They stood together and watched as the other passengers boarded the plane, they listened as the last boarding call was made, they even watched as the plane left and disappeared out of sight. 

They finally drew apart as passengers for the next flight began to crowd the area, but he held tightly onto her hand, refusing to let it go.  She smiled warmly at him.  He suddenly looked at her with a strange expression.  "Did you know Sakura-chan could fly?" he asked.  

Meilin laughed.  "Is that how you got here?"  He nodded.  "She said some kind of chant or something, then all of a sudden she had wings…"

"I guess I'll need to thank her later," she said.

Masato looked at her.  "So you did know she can fly?"

Meilin nodded. "And she can do a whole lot more than that too."

"Can you?" he asked.

Meilin smiled.  "No…"

He smiled back at her.  "That's good…I don't think I could keep up with a girl that could fly."

"What makes you think you can keep up with me anyway?" Meilin asked playfully.  She easily released her hand from his relaxed grip and began walking quickly away.  He grinned as he followed her out of the waiting area, catching up with her almost instantly. 

She smiled.  "Let's go get a drink, okay?"  He smiled back happily at her.  "Whatever you wish."  

Meanwhile, Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo watched as the new couple walked away.  Sakura and Tomoyo both had tears in their eyes.  

"They're so perfect together!" Sakura exclaimed.  

"I'm so happy that I could film such a wonderful thing," Tomoyo cried.   She turned her camera to Sakura and Syaoran.  "It was so horrible that I couldn't film your confession to each other though."  They blushed as they looked at each other.   

Tomoyo smiled.  "I think I'll go ahead and buy Kero some of the cake I promised." She looked down inside her bag at the little yellow creature who had fallen asleep.  She shook the bag gently to wake him.  Kero woke up slowly and looked at her groggily.  "Let's go get you some cake," she told him as she began walking away.  She turned back once and waved goodbye to Sakura and Syaoran.  

They looked at each other after she had disappeared into the crowd.  They blushed.

"Where did Wei go?" Sakura asked.  

Syaoran smiled.  "He went to go get Meilin's stuff after he heard what had happened to make her so upset.  He probably thought that she probably would change her mind about leaving once Masato-san explained things to her."

Sakura smiled.  "Well, not many girls would be able to resist Masato-san.  He was so very sweet."  She looked slyly up at Syaoran.  "I was getting kind of jealous even."

His eyes widened in surprise.  "Oh?  Am I not sweet enough for you?" he asked playfully.

"I don't know…" Sakura started, but stopped as he suddenly lifted her into his arms.  A dark red tint quickly spread across her face.  "What are you doing!?"

"I'm escorting my beautiful angel to go meet the new couple," he said, a slight blush also rising on his face.  He gently kissed her forehead as he began to walk in the direction he had seen Masato and Meilin going before.  

Sakura smiled, nestling her head against his chest.  "I love you Syaoran."

He smiled.  "And I love you, Sakura."

They slowly continued to walk away, not noticing the girl with a video camera following their every move.  

Tomoyo smiled happily as she watched the scene between Sakura and Syaoran.

_Kawaii__…_

**Owari**** (The End)**

Well, I hope you liked the story!!  Thanks for reading!!  And thank you to everyone who has reviewed.  I truly appreciate it very very much!!!  They make me so happy!! 

If you liked this story, you might want to check out my others, especially the prequel to this story (After the Crash) if you haven't already read it.

Anyway, thanks again!! You people are wonderful!!


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